A cardinal sin of blogging is to go many, many days without an entry. National Novel Writing Month occupied November, and everyone knows December is a blur, even if you don’t have grandiose plans for Christmas. New Year’s Eve is a signpost for me, that normalcy is about to return to my life — whatever “normal” means.

I haven’t made New Year’s resolutions for many years, just as I don’t give up anything for Lent. The former get broken or forgotten by January 2, and the latter doesn’t make sense to me. How is giving up something for six weeks, only to resume it again, sharing in the suffering of Christ?

Currently, I taking two writing classes offered by Holly Lisle. Check her out at http://www.hollylisle.com. She teaches from the experience of a long-time writer and doesn’t underplay her failures. One class, How to Think Sideways, is part self-reflection and part technique, with an eye toward writing what satisfies you, and not what’s a hot seller at the moment.

The other class, How to Revise Your Novel, is teaching me how to correct the deficiencies of last year’s NaNoWriMo novel. My idea is good and, in general, the story is good. But there are parts that completely suck. Those are the ones that need revision. After finishing this course, hopefully, I can do a better job of planning the next novel.

The cats are flourishing. I think they have achieved detante and good will toward one another. Some of you may remember that Charlie took a two-month leave of absence from our home this summer and we adopted Oliver to keep Barbara from being an only cat. The experience resulted in cat math, where two cats minus one cat equals three cats. Since mathematics is a human invention anyway, I stand by my results.

Angie and Adam are coming this evening and tomorrow we’ll get up early to drive to New Orleans (about eight hours) for the Sugar Bowl. Jim graduated from the University of Cincinnati and the Bearcats play Florida tomorrow evening. It’s the first major bowl game for Cincy in a very long time. The emphasis has been on academics for many years. It should be interesting because UC’s coach, Brian Kelly, went to Notre Dame at the end of football season, and Florida’s coach, Urban Meyer, doesn’t know if he’s coming or going. In that sense, the teams are equally matched. Otherwise, I expect a rout by Florida.

Here’s wishing everyone who takes the time to read this a happy and prosperous new year. Expect better things in 2010, and thanks for stopping by.